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I have chosen this post for its powerful metaphorical representation of self-love and personal growth. It vividly indicates the idea that by empowering and taking care of yourself, you cultivate the strength to overcome challenges, embrace new experiences, and evolve into a version of yourself that is more confident, self-assured, and capable of creating the life you envision.

The post says that as we tend to our needs and nurture our inner self, just like a plant being watered, something truly magical happens. We begin to bloom, just like a flower. The blossoming flowers symbolize the beautiful results of self-love and self-care. This comparison captures the amazing journey from looking after yourself to witnessing the beauty that arises from embracing self-love. It's a reminder of the incredible transformation that occurs when we prioritize and cherish our own well-being.

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It is through radical self-love that a person understands that their body, individuality, and diversity is a representation of their humanness and thus they deserve to be respected, honored, and full heartedly loved.

Radical self-love requires that an individual recognize the inherent value of their humanness as a quality which is not dependent on their physical state. Oppression in society, as seen through fat-phobia, sexism, racism, and ableism, attempts to distance one’s humanness and inherit worth on the basis of physicalities. The arguments of oppression are not rooted in tangible evidence or logic - oppression is a social structure enabled by a lack of respect for humanness and the diversity of its forms.

As shown in the Instagram post, many people try to change their visual appearance to meet societal perceptions and standards of beauty. Societal standards of beauty try to argue that particular bodies are to inherit greater value or worth when such value and worth resonates in the essence of being human. The irony of beauty standards is that they are dependent on social and culture - they are ever changing. The fluidity and dependence on culture and time of beauty standard establishes the fact that there is no such thing as the perfect body. Through radical self-love an individual recognizes the glory of themselves as a human being and transversally the body which they express their humanity through. Radical-self love must start in the self. As individuals we have control over the perception of our own bodies.

However, there is no wonder as to why people try to attain the perceived “perfect body.” Oppression is rooted in physicalities - throughout history and time individuals have been oppressed on the basis of their body. For instance, people of color, women, and those with disabilities were not allowed to vote and practice as full citizens - the only thing differentiating these communities were their bodies. This created a sense of shame surrounding one’s body and associated particular biological traits with superiority and the contrary. Particular bodies are treated with greater respect in society due to the standardization which society has conformed to through public policy, norms, and quotas which only reflect particular ideals. The desire to change one’s body is done out of a desire to be accepted and valued more in society, however such a society is deficient in recognizing the beauty and inherent diversity in humanity. Radically redefining society's relationship with the body requires components of economic, public, and governmental influence given the way which oppression seeps into it all.

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I chose this image because it reminded me of the quote “Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are…”. Much like this quote, this image spreads the message that you can not control what others think about you. Radical self-love involves accepting yourself, caring for yourself, and knowing you are more than enough, and inherently worthy of love, respect, and compassion. The butterfly represents this ideal, that true beauty is found in self-love and self-confidence. Their ability to accept change and find the beauty hidden with-in themselves is what compels us all to ‘follow the butterflies’.

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I chose this post as it is can be interpreted to validate those struggling with accepting that they need and should take up the space that they require without feeling guilty, which is a sentiment expressed gratefully in the comments. Furthermore, the rippling of energy can be a symbol of the power that we have to dismantle the systems that allow and actively encourage body terrorism.

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Self Love Tips & Quotes on Instagram: "Beautiful art by @iuliastration
💙"

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48K likes, 63 comments - the_selflove_space on August 8, 2023: "Beautiful art by @iuliastration
💙"

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I chose this post because it was something Sonya Renee Taylor posted, a quote of herself. I like how she is able to connect with her audience by tapping into a broad feeling that many of us struggle with, feeling like we belong. A feeling of belonging can be hindered by the very real societal factors such as oppression and marginalization. The quote encourages us to recognize these societal issues and work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable world where everyone can experience a sense of belonging based on their authentic selves.

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I chose this post because it shows this creature really embracing radical self love and themselves as they are. On the other hand it also shows how their own radical self love also effects others like the frog in the image. This is really important because radical self love has an effect on not just you but the others that you surround. This may help people to practice radical self love for others if they do not have the strength to just do it for themselves.

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I chose this Instagram post for the assignment because I found this image to strongly relate with our conversations as a class around #radicalselflove. In the image we see Ariel a disney princess at a therapists office being forced to reckon with some of the things she sacrificed to find happiness. It relates back to some of the things Sonya Renee Taylor talked about in her book, like how people shouldn't only start to love themselves when everything in their personal and professional lives have lined up. Instead loving yourself as you are, allows you to make decisions that work to empower you. So circling back to this beloved children's classic, Ariel is an example of someone who didn't practice radical self love, and instead chose to base her entire worth on sacrificing everything, including her own voice, to be with a man who she'd seen only once before. I think Ariel specifically is a great example of when Sonya Renee Taylor speaks about bodies in this world. Ariel doesn't like her body because it doesn't allow her to be around the person she thinks she's loves, so she feels the need to have to change her entire body so that she can fit into his world. Which is kind of an interesting metaphor that ties back to Renee Taylor's point of how you can't choose the body you were born into, and how the way we view our own bodies and the bodies around us, can have a domino affect in culture and society.

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This resonated with me because of my experience lately with sports and academics. It’s easy for someone to get frustrated with themselves when they aren’t seeing improvement immediately after they set out to do something. It’s also easy to expect to see result when you aren’t putting in more work than you were before. Both of these examples lack a growth mindset. A lot of pressure is put on younger people these days to get things done faster than others or before others which can cause self-confidence problems or mental health issues. Competing with oneself is really important and ultimately is going to get you further than if you aren’t being logical and expecting something unrealistic. Growth mindsets are great for all of society (the “radical” part) because they encourage the narrative that everyone can do something, whether they are the best or the worst in the room. The only thing one can do from being the worst is get better.

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I chose this post because I feel as though this very strongly relates to what Sonya Taylor means when she says that radical self-love is not something that is learned; it is something that everyone is born with. The lady in this video shows how when she disconnects herself from the rest of the world for a while and is alone with her and her mind, she isn’t being influenced by all these things that are around her, like magazines, the news, etc. that paint the standards of our society. This is very compelling to me and I feel as though this would be very relaxing to do every day and would lead to better discovering my radical self-love, and this woman’s reaction really encouraged me to try something like this.

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Sky Cave Retreats on Instagram: "What happens when we feel safe at a core level?

What happens when we are fundamentally relaxed?

Darkness retreat removes all the stimulation, all the doing, all the striving, all the achieving and invites us into the simplicity of being. 

What happens when we don’t need to change?

In the dark, all our willful efforts to awaken, heal, fix, transform, spiritualize all eventually come to an end and we’re left with our fully exposed selves exactly as we are. 

There is an open invitation to soften into what is present. 

There is an ongoing exploration to see what remains. 

There is a beautiful discovery in the quiet tenderness of our hearts. 

🎶 - @anbrmusic 

#selfinquiry #selfdiscovery #radicalselflove #radicalacceptance #darknessretreat"

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865 likes, 10 comments - skycaveretreats on October 1, 2023: "What happens when we feel safe at a core level?

What happens when we are fundamentally relaxed?
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I chose this post because I felt like the message was very impactful, and followed the trend in what we were recently reading. It touches upon the concept of not needing to be how others want you to be, and how the rest of society wants you to be, it is the idea of simply being yourself. This can include personality and physical appearance, as radical self-love includes all of oneself. The overall image has little to look at, as it is just words on a page, but the pastel colors give off a peaceful relaxing ambiance that helps encourage the idea of loving oneself.

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I chose this instagram post because it can remind us of ways to destress and feel good with ourselves, even if we are going through tough situations. I am sure that some people can find the exercises proposed in this post as their form of coping mechanism. Furthermore, the usage of bright colors is very appealing and brings the idea of happiness and wellbeing.

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This post stood out to me because there is a theme of being unapologetic. As women, we are expected to adjust ourselves for the comfort and benefit of others. And it takes many reminders and unlearning of habits to properly own space in the world. These reminders are telling the viewer to take what is rightfully theirs without any remorse. I think it conveys radical self-love precisely.

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I chose this post because I know that I, and many other people, struggle with treating themselves with the same respect they treat others with. Respecting and forgiving yourself is vital to self love.

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Jemma Munro on Instagram: "A letter for you 🧡"

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199K likes, 580 comments - thecaringcounsellor on May 12, 2023: "A letter for you 🧡"

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I chose this image for two reasons, the first reason is the image itself. Someone has chosen to put themselves out on the internet and open their own body up to ridicule, but has found beauty in themselves along the way. From an outsiders perspective there is no more fear for this individual, they've reached the acceptance we all strive for and envy and have made it look like art in the process. The second reason I chose this image was for the caption that was chosen. I think it's really meaningful to say "choosing to see art" rather than simply "seeing art" because this shows the choice that must be made. We can all look at ourselves and see the flaws we feel, but if we were to make the active choice to see those flaws as art and stories of growth, we would all be in a much more different place with ourselves.

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In this image, there is a black woman with a band-aid over her mouth. The band aid is tan, and it clearly does not match her skin tone. This is representative of a larger issue in healthcare that black women face: racism. However, the band aid serves as a visual representation that healthcare is not geared towards treating black women. In fact, seeking medical care can be more harmful and potentially lethal for black women. Since the band aid is over her mouth, it appears to be silencing her so that she cannot speak up and advocate for herself. Even though she is unable to speak, we can infer by her facial expression that she is skeptical and displeased with the care or lack thereof that she is receiving. Overall, this image illustrates that racial bias in medical care, especially towards black women, puts their lives at risk every day as they are often unseen, unheard, and misdiagnosed.

Sources:

Elo, Irma T., et al. “The Contribution of Health Care and Other Interventions to Black-White Disparities in Life Expectancy, 1980-2007.” Population Research and Policy Review, vol. 33, no. 1, [Springer, Southern Demographic Association], 2014, pp. 97–126, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43672155.

Kimberly R. Jacob Arriola, et al. “The Health Status of Black Women: Breaking through the Glass Ceiling.” Black Women, Gender + Families, vol. 1, no. 2, University of Illinois Press, 2007, pp. 1–23, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/blacwomegendfami.1.2.0001.

Stallings, Erika. “This Is How the American Healthcare System Is Failing Black Women.” Oprah Daily, 1 Aug. 2018, https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a23100351/racial-bias-in-healthcare-black-women/.

Stauffer, Brian. “Unknown.” Oprah Daily. 1 Aug. 2018, https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a23100351/racial-bias-in-healthcare-black-women/.